‘Bruno’ Movie Review – Giving Homophobia A Good Fisting

If you’re homophobic then I suggest you stop reading this review right now. I also suggest you don’t go and see the Bruno movie, because all you’re going to see is yourself and the people who think like you shown up as the ludicrous individuals you are. OK, lecture over, now onto the movie.

Bruno isn’t a film for everyone. If you haven’t got a sense of humor then it’s not for you. If you can’t see the funny side of having a penis flopping around on the screen then it’s not for you. If you cringe at seeing people being embarrassed and put on the spot then it’s not for you.

However, Bruno is for you if you don’t fit any of the above criteria. In fact, it’s one of the very few comedies I’d recommend you go and see at the cinema. I saw The Hangover last week, found it mildly amusing, but would rather have seen it on DVD in a few months time. Whereas Bruno is definite theater fodder.

Part of the reason for this is the genuine joy of watching Bruno in the company of others. You can sense the tension in the cinema when Ron Paul is being groomed to star in a sex video. You can see people visibly shocked when the over-the-top gay sex scenes appear on screen.

Bruno is, at its core, a very funny film. I think it’s much funnier than Borat, but then it’s a different animal. Whereas Borat was an almost plotless excuse to wind up members of the public, Bruno has more of a storyline, and feels more staged. Kind of like This Is Spinal Tap or Curb Your Enthusiasm where the general idea is known and everyone riffs off that.

This isn’t a bad thing, and it makes Bruno work much better as a feature film than Borat. There are jokes on all levels, from the downright rude and in your face visual variety to the subtle wordplays and the comparing of Bruno to Adolf Hitler. This isn’t an unintelligent movie made to appeal to the lowest common denominator.

It’s a fairly short film but the length works for the subject matter and mockumentary style. Sacha Baron Cohen shows himself once again to be not only a genius comedy writer but also a brilliant comedy actor. He’s also a man willing to push further than almost anyone else in an effort to raise some laughs and expose ignorance and intolerance.

If you value hard-hitting comedy and are open-minded enough not to be put off by the idea of the film then you are guaranteed to enjoy Bruno. It uses humor as a way of showing people and their misguided beliefs up, and on that score it cannot be faulted.